The references cited in the present application are not admitted to be prior art to the claimed invention.
About 3% of the world's population is infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). (Wasley et al., Semin. Liver Dis. 20, 1-16, 2000.) Exposure to HCV results in an overt acute disease in a small percentage of cases, while in most instances the virus establishes a chronic infection causing liver inflammation and slowly progresses into liver failure and cirrhosis. (Iwarson, FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 14, 201-204, 1994.) In addition, epidemiological surveys indicate HCV plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. (Kew, FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 14, 211-220, 1994, Alter, Blood 85, 1681-1695, 1995.)
Prior to the implementation of routine blood screening for HCV in 1992, most infections were contracted by inadvertent exposure to contaminated blood, blood products or transplanted organs. In those areas where blood screening of HCV is carried out, HCV is primarily contracted through intravenous drug use. Less frequent methods of transmission include perinatal exposure, hemodialysis, and sexual contact with an HCV infected person. (Alter et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 341(8), 556-562, 1999, Alter, J. Hepatol. 31 Suppl. 88-91, 1999, Wasley et al., Semin. Liver. Dis. 201, 1-16, 2000.)
The HCV genome consists of a single strand RNA about 9.5 kb encoding a precursor polyprotein of about 3000 amino acids. (Choo et al., Science 244, 362-364, 1989, Choo et al., Science 244, 359-362, 1989, Takamizawa et al., J. Virol. 65, 1105-1113, 1991.) The HCV polyprotein contains the viral proteins in the order: C-E1-E2-p7-NS2-NS3-NS4A-NS4B-NS5A-NS5B.
The use of a HCV nucleic acid sequence providing one or more HCV non-structural antigens to generate a CMI response is mentioned, for example, by Cho et al., Vaccine 17:1136-1144, 1999; Paliard et al., International Publication Number WO 01/30812; Coit et al., International Publication Number WO 01/38360; and Emini et al., International Publication Number WO 03/031588.